After spending 12 years trying to learn C++ unsuccessfully. 9 of those years while being here. I have decided to focus on my other loves in life (besides my family) and give up once and for all on programming. I'm going into the culinary arts (cooking) and who knows, maybe one day you all will be stopping by a place I cook at and own? Oh well like I said, it has truly been fun getting to know everyone over the past 9 years and wish every one the best of luck in all their future endeavors.

"Can't a man even talk to himself without being interrupted?" -Krull(1983)"Through vengence I was born. Through war I was trained. Through love I was found. Through death I was released. Through release I was given a purpose." -- Specter Phoenix"Programming == AWESOME the rest is just tools to accomplish it."END OF LINE

That's a long time. It shouldn't take that long. There are books such as "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days".

That aside though, it isn't necessary to know each and every language facility of C++ to be productive with it.

I second the suggestion to try C#. It has been my main programming language at the day job for the last four years and I even learned some concepts from it which I adapted into my C++ programming style.

It depends on what you mean by "learn". I spent 2 years programming in C++ and I think I have learned it. By learned I mean I can program efficiently in it. I know how to use OOP and the various language constructs... I still don't know everything of course.

But, if after 12 years you didn't learn to use the language, then I agree with you, do anything, just don't program.

I second the suggestion to try C#. It has been my main programming language at the day job for the last four years and I even learned some concepts from it which I adapted into my C++ programming style.

C# is excellent, but I'd suggest Python. C# has a lot of C++ heritage, which is great if you know C++ already, but counter-intuitive if you don't. Python is much easier to learn even if you do know C++.

As I've blathered before, IMO C++ is more trouble than it's worth. The real obstacles to programming IMO are:1) Understanding the problem "cold" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok2) Allowing yourself big enough blocks of time to get warmed up to a problem3) Building truly self sufficient modules that you can make a procedure or function that solves a problem well enough that you can treat it as a magic box and don't have to worry about how it works anymore.

“Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as "bad luck.”

I've gotten used to weakly typed languages. It can be nice at times being able to dynamically shape the code without lots of crazy changes. You do lose the comfort knowing that the code is consistent though.

I don't care for Python myself. I find it hard to read/write. Perhaps because I'm just not used to it. I don't know. I thought I was liking it, starting writing a program with it, got distracted, and when I returned couldn't read the code at all.

I really like Perl though. It's an awesome language. I have loose plans to learn Lisp/Scheme and Ruby now. I've heard good things about each of them.

I still prefer my C, C++, and C# though for appropriate applications. I guess Java too.

I've been reading the book, "Teach Yourself C++ Programming In 21 Days" off and on for about three years. The furthest I got was day 17. It's a very simplistic book that doesn't explain the logic behind the syntax. I think I found a few errata in it as well. Go enjoy life, learn to sail, play a musical instrument, write the book, "Teach Yourself To Pick Up Women In 21 Days", and drop by anytime.

By reading this sig, I, the reader, agree to render my soul to Bob Keane. I, the reader, understand this is a legally binding contract and freely render my soul.If we get apple juice from squeezing apples, and we get prunes from drying out plums, where does prune juice come from?Hi Randall Monroe.

I figured out Python in six hours. Seriously, I borrowed a Python book from a friend the day before a homework assignment was due, figured out the language, then finished my assignment, in six hours. I totally love Python.

To the OP: not programming isn't a reason to stop hanging out at A.cc. I'd wager that quite a few of us hardly program at all these days. Until I picked up Python, I pretty much hadn't programmed in a year, except for a few small homework assignments.